Papa Screw's son died of a heart attack in late 2000. He was one of hip-hop's most influential DJs, and easily the most revered and innovative DJ from this region. Screw's "chopped and screwed" remixes of hip-hop tracks, in which he would slide the pitch on his turntables down to a molasses-slow pace, created a mind-numbing, almost hallucinogenic feeling designed to mimic the effects of consuming Codeine-based cough syrup.

Today Screw's influence is no longer a regional phenomenon, with mainstream rap albums by artists such as Lil' Jon getting "chopped and screwed."

Papa Screw remains committed to furthering his son's legacy. He founded the DJ Screw Foundation, which on July 22 will honor the late, great DJ with Screwfest, a day-long festival at the Pasadena Convention Center & Fairgrounds.

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The attention Screw continues to receive is miles away from his DIY beginnings.

Over a decade ago, Screw tapes, which were recorded on store-bought cassettes, started to become a sought-after item amongst hip-hop enthusiasts in Houston. Screw initially started making cassettes upon request, taking lists of songs from his fans and putting together special mixes for each.

Demand soon exceeded his ability to produce personalized tapes, even though Screw was widely acknowledged as a tireless, artistically-driven workaholic.

At that point Screw began to make specific mixes and running off hundreds of copies of each.

"He would come into the store," recalls Russel Gonzalez, a producer known as The ARE who once worked in a south side record store where Screw shopped, "and would buy up every new record that came out. He'd also buy up all of our blank cassettes. I eventually offered to start ordering them for him in bulk. He'd buy boxes at a time."

Screw's tapes exploded; cars would line up around the block as people showed up at his house to purchase them. To control the situation, he began to keep "store hours": If the gate to his South Park home was shut, no tapes were available.

Still, the lines and the demand persisted. Unfortunately, the traffic attracted the attention of both Screw's neighbors and the authorities.

"I had to move four different times on account of Screw," says Papa Screw, who calls his son by his DJ name and speaks fondly of him with every word. "Everywhere we moved to, we got evicted because of the music and the noise. And the traffic. (Neighbors would) think it was drug-related."

But it wasn't. A police raid on Screw's home turned up only a massive stack of records.

"Screw got mad," Papa Screw says, sitting on a chair under the shade of a tree across the street from Screwed Up Records and Tapes, which is still open for business. "And what he said was 'Pops, I'm tired of you going through this.' So Screw went and found (a) house on Greenstone. I didn't put him out or nothing. Screw had just gotten tired of what I'd been going through, moving from house to house, apartment to apartment."

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Screwed Up Records and Tapes opened in early 1998, just a couple of days before the untimely death of Houston rapper Fat Pat. Screw also continued to sell tapes out of his house, and he never gave up the busy pace he established before achieving notoriety. Surging sales offered him the freedom to record all the time.

Those close to Screw say that the attention didn't change him as a person.

"Screw was quiet and humble," recalled Kyu Boi, a rapper from South Park who grew up with Screw from the time the two were middle school students.

But Screw's infatuation with his craft came at a cost. His sleepless lifestyle, along with his heavy consumption of cough syrup and other substances, began to take a toll on his health. Screw died on Nov. 16, 2000, sending shockwaves through the hip-hop community.

By featuring local rappers on his mix tapes, he had created the loosely-organized Screwed Up Click. He created careers for many local rappers. Lil' Keke, in particular, has his career to credit to early appearances on Screw tapes. He points out that there was no better promotion than being on a Screw tape.

"I was making $250,000 a year doing nothing," he said. "None of that. Videos nothing."

In the years since Screw's untimely death, his music has lost none of its relevance. It defines, mirrors and is indigenous to Houston.

Unfortunately, Screw's innovative style has also spawned legions of shameless bootleggers and imitators, who have manufactured "Screw" tapes that were never touched by DJ Screw or his successor Big Baby. These newcomers have been a thorn in the side of both the Screwed Up Click and Screw's shop on Cullen Boulevard which is the only place in town to purchase an authentic Screw tape or CD.

This weekend's festival was put together to help listeners determine the difference between Screw tapes and CDs knock-offs. It also allows Houston's robust rap scene to pay its respects to the late DJ.

"You look at a lot of the platinum artists in Houston," said Mike Aguilar, who sits on the board of the DJ Screw Foundation, "they came up listening to Screw, and acknowledge him in their songs. Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Lil' Flip. . . . Pimp C's new single pays respect to Robert Davis, and says he's the king of the South. People are paying respect where it's due, and that's what this festival is all about."

Papa Screw launched the DJ Screw Foundation this spring to help underprivileged kids who want to go to school. Proceeds from the festival will also benefit the "Big Hawk" Hawkins family trust fund, named after John Hawkins, a.k.a. the Houston rapper Hawk, who was shot and killed in May.

His was an untimely death as well. Hawk was not only on the bill for DJ Screwfest, but was also a member of the committee that planned it.

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Screw's restored Chevy Impala will be one of more than 200 vehicles at Screwfest's car show. Screwed Up Records and Tapes will be relocated to the event for the day, and vendor booths will be set up all over the complex.

But the main attraction, as always, will be the performers. The lineup for the festival, so far, includes Mannie Fresh, Slim Thug, Devin the Dude, Chingo Bling, Bun B, Pimp C, Kiotti, Billy Cook, DJ Michael "5000" Watts and Screw's one-time colleague DJ Chill, as well as D-Red & the Botany Boyz, Trae, C-Note, 3-2, Big Moe, Big Pokey and ESG of the Screwed Up Click.

Organizers expect between 10,000-15,000 people to attend. The Untold Story, a DVD about Screw that was endorsed by his family, will be released at the event.

All of the attention and artistic respect makes Papa Screw proud.

Last week he attended an in-store appearance by rapper Pimp C, of the group UGK. It was at the very shop where DJ Screw had once purchased his records back in the late '90s.

When Papa Screw walked in to the record store, Pimp C got up from where he was sitting at a table signing autographs and embraced him. They clutched several minutes, speaking quietly into each other's ear.

Screw's legacy will not soon die.

"There's been so much time that's passed," Kyu Boi said. "But it still seems like Screw didn't go anywhere. Seems like it just happened. I haven't forgotten. You can never forget. No matter how many years go by, you can't forget."